Reviews

Revoltons – Celestial Violence (Sleaszy Rider Records)

A veteran Italian band that arose during the early 1990’s, Revoltons have evolved through their six previous studio albums from a power/progressive metal style into one that is navigating elements of Read more […]

ScreaMachine – Church of the Scream (Frontiers Music)

It’s open season for musicians who after years of playing revert to a love of traditional, classic heavy metal from youth that probably inspired their lifelong interest for the genre in the first place. Read more […]

Severed Angel – Severed Angel (Sliptrick Records)

Originating in the Northeast with members across Long Island, NY and Pennsylvania, Severed Angel is a quintet that captures their initial songwriting burst for this debut, self-titled album. You usually Read more […]

Bloodgutter – Death Mountain (Trollzorn Records)

A Danish band forming in 2019, Bloodgutter is a four-piece outfit of good friends who wish to play a gritty, groove-oriented form of death metal for their debut album Death Mountain. Half of the lineup Read more […]

Vomitheist – NekroFvneral (Transcending Obscurity)

The sheer number of old school death metal releases lately has been unrelenting, with a few new ones seemingly coming down the pike on a weekly basis. As with many saturated genres, one has to sift through Read more […]

Enforcer – Nostalgia (Nuclear Blast)

One of the steady new forces in the heavy metal scene since the mid-2000’s, Enforcer certainly stretched boundaries in terms of substance, influences, and songwriting through their last studio effort Read more […]

Afraid of Destiny – Contra Omnes (Talheim Records)

There’s a particular beauty in darkness. When it comes to depressive black metal, Afsky released a glorious album earlier this year that is easily the high water mark for this particular style in 2023. Read more […]

Vintersea – Woven into Ashes (M-Theory Audio)

Vintersea made a name for themselves within more extreme circles with their previous two releases (most notably 2019’s Illuminated) by doing an absolutely eloquent job of genre-mashing. For such a young Read more […]

Kilonova – Moment of Clarity (Self-Released)

Forming in the northeastern portion of England, Kilonova has made a quick impact since arriving on the market in 2018. They were able to play the infamous Bloodstock Open Air Festival six months after Read more […]

Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us (Prosthetic Records)

When potential is realized, it’s a darn warm feeling. Last year saw a number of bands break through the ice – An Abstract Illusion being the most notable to these ears. Majesties, Hypno5e, Foretoken, Read more […]

Unearth – The Wretched, The Ruinous (Century Media)

One of the seminal acts responsible for the rise of metalcore in the early 2000s, Unearth has still frequently flown relatively under the radar in comparison to their brethren in Killswitch Engage or Lamb Read more […]

Impending Triumph – Impending Triumph (Jawbreaker Records)

Months of seclusion led to the start of a traditional, epic heavy metal band for Impending Triumph. A musical duo with experience across black, doom, progressive, and experimental heavy styles, the goal Read more […]

Enchantya – Cerberus (Inverse Records)

This Portuguese symphonic gothic metal band Enchantya started with vocalist Rute Fevereiro back in 2004, slowly evolving through different lineups as EP and album releases took place. Now having time to Read more […]

Predatory Void – Seven Keys to the Discomfort of Being (Century Media Records)

The height of the pandemic was a time where musicians needed to find things to occupy time, and out of that came a number of interesting new projects that may not have been if not for these uniquely dire Read more […]

Ironmaster – Weapons of Spiritual Carnage (Black Lion Records)

This trio of Swedish musicians within Ironmaster have quite a resume in the extreme metal landscape – including members with ties to Scar Symmetry, Dark Funeral, World Below, Carnal Forge, and Edge of Read more […]

Tanith – Voyage (Metal Blade Records)

Tantalizing old school followers through their 2019 debut album In Another Time, Tanith awakens from the COVID slumber for this sophomore platter Voyage. Losing second guitarist Charles Newton the day Read more […]

Trapped in Thought – For Those Who Never Came Home (Self-Released)

Forming in 2012, Canadian band Trapped in Thought have been through a few hiatuses and lineup changes over the course of their career – recording a couple of EP’s and a single in the process leading Read more […]

Dawn of Ouroboros – Velvet Incandescence (Prosthetic Records)

Having made a sizable splash with their debut The Art of Morphology in 2020, the Dawn of Ouroboros camp has been busy since. Signing to Prosthetic Records in 2022, the band are ready to unleash their second Read more […]

Vorna – Aamunkoi (Lifeforce Records)

Folk metal has been around for a while now, which makes this scribe feel a tad old. Hitting a fever pitch in the mid 2000’s, the market then got oversaturated with uninspiring copycats. Compound that Read more […]

Enforced – War Remains (Century Media)

Crossover thrash is the real deal in the current underground/ independent-level musical landscape. Thanks to the success of acts like Power Trip and Municipal Waste, newer artists take aim at making a Read more […]

Atavistia – Cosmic Warfare (Blood Blast Distribution)

Having been plying their trade since 2016, Vancouver’s Atavistia has been quietly creating slick symphonic melodic death metal, but have yet to fully break through to the next level. The quartet released Read more […]

Saint Deamon – League of the Serpent (AFM Records)

After a decade break from studio records with an excellent third album Ghost in 2019, Saint Deamon proved that their brand of melodic power metal still has plenty of appeal. Feet firmly on the ground, Read more […]

Gyrdleah – Spellbinder (Black Lion Records)

Gyrdleah has been around for quite a while, technically, and if they’re not ringing a bell, that can’t be held against you. Forming back in 2005, the single member project helmed by Flagrum released Read more […]

Anthem – Crimson & Jet Black (Reaper Entertainment)

Pioneers of the Japanese metal movement from the 1980’s, Anthem may not necessarily be on the minds of most Western culture followers for their entire careers due to lack of proper label deals here – Read more […]

Century – The Conquest of Time (No Remorse Records)

A Swedish two-piece with seasoning in other acts across the heavy, speed, and progressive black/death landscape, Century took shape in 2020, releasing their debut Demo MMXX that same year. The underground Read more […]

Babymetal – The Other One (Babymetal Records)

One of the most buzzed about and notable bands to come out of Japan in the last decade(ish), Babymetal have been an act that has eluded this site for one major reason.  It felt entirely like a gimmick.  Read more […]

Aara – Triade III: Nyx (Debemur Morti Productions)

There’s nothing quite like an interesting story; especially one meticulously told. Swiss atmospheric black metal innovators Aara embrace this idea more so than most. Beginning in 2021, the band began Read more […]

S​ó​l án varma – S​ó​l án varma (Ván Records)

Supergroups aren’t always so super. It’s indeed rare to find an instance that blossoms as an organic and inspired collaboration, instead of being forced and tepid. The famed Roadburn Festival has found Read more […]

As Everything Unfolds – Ultraviolet (Long Branch Records)

With their 2021 debut, Within Each Lies the Other, As Everything Unfolds made quite a splash and for good reason.  Their particular brand of metal meets rock meets pop meets you-name-it was heavy, catchy, Read more […]

Blood Star – First Sighting (Shadow Kingdom Records)

Featuring Visigoth guitarist Jamison Palmer, Blood Star came on this scribe’s radar screen as an opener for Night Demon at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, NY a few years ago. Blowing away the crowd with an Read more […]